Tiz a Billy should be tough in Baffle Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. – Everyone wants a Derby horse. But not all horses want the Derby.
Some horses do not even want dirt, including Tiz a Billy. “He has the build of a grass horse,” trainer Brian Koriner said. “He’s not extra heavy; he’s more fine-boned. It felt like [turf] was going to be his calling.”
Good call. Although Tiz a Billy’s pedigree leans to dirt, his conformation gave Koriner reason to go turf, beginning with his second career start last August. Tiz a Billy missed by a neck and two starts later missed by a nose. Good tries, albeit losses.
Tiz a Billy was freshened for three months, returned in January with new jockey Flavien Prat, and exploded. He scored the most lopsided turf-sprint victory of the meet, a 6 1/2-length maiden romp that makes him favored in the $75,000 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday at Santa Anita. Track linemaker Jon White opened Tiz a Billy at 2-1.
Six colts and geldings entered the Baffle; the turf sprint is race 2. Tiz a Billy’s rivals include runaway maiden dirt winner True Brilliance, turf-route stakes winner Path of David, and outsiders Hot Ore, Iron Rob, and He’s a Tiger.
Tiz a Billy will be tough if he reproduces his comeback. What changed from last year? “I think a little bit of maturity,” Koriner said. “He’s one of those colts that is really wound up. We ran him three times at Del Mar as a 2-year-old, and every time he got more revved up.”
The new dimension he showed last time, off the pace, will serve him well. “Down the road, I think Tiz a Billy is going to route,” Koriner said. “I think he’ll be an Obviously kind of horse. He acts like he’ll run quite a ways even though he goes so fast.”
The main rival for Tiz a Billy is True Brilliance. If they avoid a duel, the Baffle could be a parade.
KEY CONTENDERS
Tiz a Billy, by Tizway
Last 3 Beyers: 87-71-52
◗ Purchased for $200,000 at a 2-year-old sale last February, Tiz a Billy is owned by James Cahill, Neil Haymes, and Janet Lyons.
◗ Turf sprints are good for Koriner, whose best horse was the $1.2 million earner California Flag, the winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Koriner has won with nine of his last 39 turf-sprint starters at Santa Anita.
True Brilliance, by Unusual Heat
Last 3 Beyers: 84-65-63
◗ A gelded half-brother to Grade 2 winner Notional, True Brilliance will try turf after a maiden dirt win by 9 1/2 lengths.
◗ Robertino Diodoro trains True Brilliance, whose rider is Fernando Perez.
Path of David, by Istan
Last 3 Beyers: 63-81-80
◗ The 5-2 second choice, Path of David won the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf in December and then was last in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis on dirt. Kristin Mulhall trains the gelding; Joe Talamo rides.